


The Path to Downton Abbey

by IlaikHeda



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Minor Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:07:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22639768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IlaikHeda/pseuds/IlaikHeda
Summary: Nico is afraid of his feelings for Will, only he doesn’t know that. He just knows that he’s afraid of what people will do to him if they find out he’s gay. So, how will Will react when he finds out?
Relationships: Nico di Angelo & Will Solace
Kudos: 8





	The Path to Downton Abbey

Nico didn’t want to go to Downton Abbey. He didn’t want to waste his time trying to convince Duke-or whatever his title is- Solace, to make the Abbey and its town a key stop in a trading route. There was too much time put into this trip, that at most, would take a week. His father couldn’t have been bothered to get them train tickets. No. He got them a carriage instead. Already, this one week trip has become two. Across from him, Percy closes his book.

“What’s wrong Nico?” Percy asks. His sea-green eyes roam over Nico, trying to figure him out. It makes him uncomfortable that Percy can tell that he’s upset. Nico sighs in annoyance.

“My father. He wants to make me miserable,” Nico whines. He knows he’s being childish, but there isn’t anyone here who can stop him. 

“He doesn’t want to make you miserable. There are things that must be done. Since your father can’t leave the Underworld, and you are the heir to the English Throne, it is your duty to take care of these things,” Percy lectures. The Prince rolls his eyes. He’s heard all of this before. Since his mother and sister died, her was basically left on his own. The legal age to take the crown is seventeen, and Nico is still sixteen for another three months. It’s hard for him because he has to make all of these decisions on his own, but has to have Percy or Annabeth, his advisors, sign off on it. 

“I don’t need another damn lecture, Percy. I’m well aware of my duties,” Nico snaps. 

“My apologies, but your father needs this route.”

“He doesn’t need a damn thing. This route is meant to kill people. He wants more people in the Underworld. That’s why he wants the route,” Nico explains. Being the Son of Hades, he has powers. One of them is being able to sense death. That route is going to be full of it. Percy sighs at Nico’s explanation. 

“That may be true, but it still has to be done. And,” Percy says as he peers out the window, “We should be at the Abbey momentarily.’’

“Great,” Nico says sarcastically. They spend the rest of the now short drive in silence. When the carriage finally rolls to a stop, Percy gently shakes Annabeth’s shoulder to wake her. Slowly, she opens her eyes.

“Have we arrived yet?” Annabeth asks as she straightens out her dress. Percy smiles warmly at his wife. 

“We’ve just gotten here,” Percy replies. Nico turns away from them. They’re just a reminder of what Nico can’t have. Since Nico was young, maybe nine or ten, he knew that he liked men, and not women. It scared him back then because of how wrong his feelings are. Now, he doesn’t care. Sure, he’s still scared of getting caught and being killed, but aside from that, he’s not scared. That’s why he also knew not to tell a single soul about who he had feelings for.

Nico decides to leave Percy and Annabeth to do their own thing, so he opens the carriage door, and jumps to the ground. He looks up at the grand front door of the Abbey. There is a woman with long, shiny dark brown hair, that is standing at the base of the stairs. Beside her, a man with beach-blonde hair, stands proudly. He’s wearing a black tuxedo with a crisp white shirt, and a dark, faded orange bowtie. That man could only be Will Solace. Slowly, he walks to Will and the woman next to him.

“Welcome to Downton Abbey, Prince Nico. We are honored to have you stay with us. I am Reyna Ramirez, owner of Downton,” Reyna says with a welcoming smile. Nico, because it’s what he was taught is right, returns the smile. 

“It’s nice to see you again Nico,” Will says as he smiles. Against Nico’s will, he gives Will a genuine smile. And for some odd reason, Will’s smile widens when he sees Nico smiling. “Let me show you to your room. Reyna, do you have a preference on where he is to stay?”

“Put him in the room next to yours,” Reyna replies. Wills nods his head, and opens the door to the Abbey. It’s been years since Nico had been here. When Nico was ten, his father dragged him down here for an ‘experience.’

“Have you met Reyna before?” Will asks as they walk down the main hallway to the back staircase. 

“No. When I was last here Chiron was in charge.”

“Oh. So, umm, why are you here?” Will hesitantly asks. Nico wants to smack him.

“Business,” Nico replies curtly. 

“No shit, Nico. I figured that’s the only reason you’d ever come here. I meant, is there anything specific you’re doing for business,” Will says. He tries to laugh, but it comes out as a strangled one so it sounds as if he’s choking. Will isn’t like how he used to be when they were younger. He’s still got a sense of humor, but he knows when it’s okay and when it’s not. Maybe this trip won’t turn out like last time. 

“My father wants a trade route to the Abbey’s town,” Nico says simply. Will leads him through the Abbey until he finally stops in front of a pair of wide open doors. 

“I think a trade route to…and well, through the town would be great! And, this is our joined room. My bedchamber is to the right, and yours is to the left. This is the shared sitting area,” Will explains. He leads Nico through the room. It’s quite a grand room. The furniture is high quality, and so is all of the decorations in the room. Nico runs a hand over a long table against the back of the couch. It seems to be mahogany wood. Not bad.

“It may not be what you’re used too, but it’s going to be your new home for the next few weeks,” Will continues. Nico raises his head so he can look at Will. 

“This is all perfect. I’m not the bratty kid I used to be,” Nico says. Will smiles again, and it dawns on Nico that he was absolutely awful to Will as a kid. When he first came to the Abbey, his father had demanded the best, so Nico did too. Nico said the things his father did when he was dissatisfied. He’d yell, and demand something better. He did that to Will when all he wanted to know if Nico would wear an old pair of riding boots, so they could go riding-which Nico’s father had ordered him to do.

“That’s good to hear. If you’d like to get settled, I’ll get your bags,” Will says, and he turns to leave, but Nico grabs his arm. His long pale fingers are a contrast to Will’s tan skin. 

“No. It’s not your job to serve me.”

“Okay. That may be so. If you don’t want to settle, what would you propose we do?”

“A walk around the grounds?” Nico suggests. He’s trying to show Will that he’s changed, so why not start where he went wrong? Will nods in thought. “We don’t have to if you don’t want too,” Nico adds, suddenly worried that Will won’t want to go with him. He really does want to show that he’s different, but he doesn’t know why. They aren’t really friends, so why does it matter?

“I’d love too. There’s a small creek not too far from here. Would you like to go there?”

“Wherever you’d like to go is fine with me,” Nico replies with a small smile. He looks down to where he’s still holding Will’s wrist, and drops it like he was holding hot coals. They walk out of the Abbey in silence. Maids and butlers hustle about, whether they’re carrying towels or sheets, or just a duster. Once outside, Will leads them to the back of the Abbey, which is where the woods are.

“What made you change?” Will asks. Nico is somewhat surprised by the question because he doesn’t know. He supposes it could be because of his mother and sister dying. But it’s an empty answer. Then it dawns on him. Will. 

When Nico saw how upset he get when he yelled at him, it made him sad. He didn’t like that he made him upset one bit. It made him feel sick. Hell, it still does.

“You.”

“What?” Will asks in disbelief. Nico shrugs like it isn’t a big deal. Because it’s not. Will trips over a branch while he’s looking at Nico. Nico let’s out a chuckle as Will recomposes himself. “Don’t laugh,” Will mumbles. 

“I’m not laughing at you. But, yeah. You made me want to change.”

“You hated me, though. Why would you want to change because of me?” Will asks, and Nico hates that he has to ask that. He makes it seem like he isn’t worth it. But he is.

“I never hated you. I wanted to be like my father, so I mimicked how he treated people. I felt like shit after I yelled at you. So, I changed,” Nico explains. Will makes Nico want to be good.

“You…felt bad?”

“Don’t make me seem like I’m a bad person. Of course I felt bad.”

“No one is ever sorry that they’re mean to me.” That statement surprises Nico. Will-the nicest person he knows-is treated bad.

“What?”

“Nothing-just-my mother likes to take her anger out on me,” Will says. It sounds like he’s about to cry.

“How could anyone be like that to you?”

“Well, she would hit-“

“No. I mean, how could anyone hurt you because you’re such a good person. I wish I could find someone like you to be with-“ Nico cuts himself short when he hears what he just said. Shit. Shitshitshit. This is bad. He just basically outed himself to Will Solace.

“…Be with someone like me?” Will asks slowly. He stops walking, and makes Nico stop too. “You mean friendship wise?” Nico shakes his head and closes his eyes. He flinched when Will puts a hand on his shoulder. “So in a relationship?” Will asks softly.

“They’re far enough into the woods that no one else can see or hear them. He doesn’t have to worry about anyone else finding out. But he’s still terrified of how Will is going to respond. It’s a crime to be a fag. People die because they’re careless like Nico just was. What would his father say when he gets to the Underworld? Fuck, this isn’t good. 

“Look at me,” Will instructs gently. Reluctantly, Nico opens his eyes. He takes in the man in front of him. He doesn’t seem angry-which is a very good thing. “Can I ask you something?”

What kind of question is that? Will could ask him to do anything, and he’d do it-but why would he ask that question? He could just demand that Nico tell him.

“Go ahead, Will,” Nico says defeatedly. Will glances at his feet, then back to Nico’s face. His eyes are warm, like Apollo himself put some of the sun in them. Maybe he did.

“Do you have feelings for me?” Will asks. Nico’s breath catches in the back of his throat. Tears pool in his eyes. He feels helpless. Like he’s caught in a trap, with Will blocking the way out. He’s terrified of what Will could do to him. Legally, he could kill Nico, or throw him in jail. But from how Will looks right now, that doesn’t seem to be what he wants to do. 

“I-I think so,” Nico whispers as his tears fall down his face. Will tentatively brings his free hand to his cheek to wipe away the tears. “Why are you being nice to me? I’m a fag, Will. People don’t be nice to fags, that’s how it is,” Nico explains through his tears. Will pulls him into a hug. Nico lays his head on Will’s shoulder. 

“I know how they treat fags, because that’s what I’m afraid of. I’m scared of how people will treat me if they find out.”

“What are you talking about? You aren’t a fag, Will.” Will chuckles darkly. 

“That’s where you’re wrong, Nico. I am, and I have been since I was a teenager,” Will admits. It’s a heavy confession. 

“You-you have?” Nico stammers as he untangles himself from Will’s embrace. Will nods his head.

“Since before you came to the Abbey. That day when we went riding, it was my idea. I talked to your father, and he thought it was a good idea too.”

“Why did you suggest we ride?”

“I wanted to spend time with you. You see, I had a crush on you, Nico. I still do,” Will admits. Nico is taken aback. Will Solace has feelings for him. Holy shit…

“I understand if you don’t feel the same way,” Will adds. It’s like something inside of Nico clicks. He’s always had feelings for Will, he just didn’t want to admit it. Now that he knows Will feels the same way, he can accept his feelings.

“But I do…” Nico whispers. Will smiles again, and pulls Nico into another hug. Nico pushes him away so he can plant his lips on Will’s. It’s his first kiss, and he’s incredibly happy it could be with Will. Nico pulls away with a smile on his face. 

“We should head back to the Abbey,” Nico suggests. Will nods his head with a smile on his lips. Together, they walk back up the path to Downton Abbey.


End file.
